9:1 In the first year of Darius 1 son of Ahasuerus, 2 who was of Median descent and who had been 3 appointed king over the Babylonian 4 empire – 9:2 in the first year of his reign 5 I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred books 6 that, according to the word of the LORD 7 disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah, the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem 8 were seventy in number. 9:3 So I turned my attention 9 to the Lord God 10 to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 11 9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing in this way:
“O Lord, 12 great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant 13 with those who love him and keep his commandments, 9:5 we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards. 9:6 We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authority 14 to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, 15 and to all the inhabitants 16 of the land as well.
9:7 “You are righteous, 17 O Lord, but we are humiliated this day 18 – the people 19 of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far away in all the countries in which you have scattered them, because they have behaved unfaithfully toward you. 9:8 O LORD, we have been humiliated 20 – our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors – because we have sinned against you. 9:9 Yet the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, 21 even though we have rebelled against him. 9:10 We have not obeyed 22 the LORD our God by living according to 23 his laws 24 that he set before us through his servants the prophets.
9:11 “All Israel has broken 25 your law and turned away by not obeying you. 26 Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened 27 in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you. 28 9:12 He has carried out his threats 29 against us and our rulers 30 who were over 31 us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven! 9:13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify 32 the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom 33 from your reliable moral standards. 34 9:14 The LORD was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the LORD our God is just 35 in all he has done, 36 and we have not obeyed him. 37
9:15 “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great power 38 and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day – we have sinned and behaved wickedly. 9:16 O Lord, according to all your justice, 39 please turn your raging anger 40 away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors.
9:17 “So now, our God, accept 41 the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to 42 your devastated sanctuary for your own sake. 43 9:18 Listen attentively, 44 my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins 45 and the city called by your name. 46 For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, 47 but because your compassion is abundant. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don’t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.” 48
9:20 While I was still speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my request before the LORD my God concerning his holy mountain 49 –